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Award Season for Bloggers

As always this morning the first thing I did after forcing my bleary, tired eyes open was to reach for my phone which spends the night on my bedside table. In fact it's possibly physically closer to me than my poor DH who has to lurk on the edge of his side of the bed trying to avoid being suffocated by the selection of pillows I rely on to ensure my Fibromyalgia-ridden body can find at least some comfortable positions in the night. He calls it my barricade....

Anyway, I reached for my phone (and the cuppa my lovely DH always brings me to drink before I lurch out of bed to start another day) and did the rounds - you know, emails, Facebook, Twitter, bank account.... What? That's just me? Oh. Well anyway.

On Facebook Katherine from mummypinkwellies had posted that today nominations are open for the Mads - the #madblogawards sponsored by parentdish. She asked who felt excited. Hmmm. I am - but why?

I examined this side of my personality - why do I feel the desire to be nominated and feel like winning an award would be a real life-time achievement? After all I've heard it said many times we should be blogging for ourselves and ourselves only and if other people enjoy it too, well that's a bonus.

I do write for myself (the madness in my head has to have an outlet somewhere) and even when I'm writing sponsored posts I do my best to be true to myself. I heard a great tip once - check your blog still sounds like you. I do this and 99.9% of the time I believe that it does. I am inordinately proud of my own blog so why isn't that enough?

I was talking to another blogger about this the other day. We were laughing because we admitted that at award ceremonies we even hoped to win categories we hadn't entered! We thought maybe a group of bloggers might just have got together and decided to award us a shiny trophy just for being awesome. Oddly this has never yet happened....

I have nominated myself a couple of times, and have been nominated by loving friends who are as always supported. But I can't help hoping that this time someone I've never met loves my humble blog so much they want to reward my "talent" and nominate me.

And the award for "best blog written in pyjamas" goes to..

I sense that as always I will leave begging messages and badly disguised hints on my social networks and this blog and hopefully eventually one of my friends or a member of my family will give me a "pity nom". If they don't have to register with whatever site is running the awards that is. In fact I realise that this post sounds like that's what I'm aiming for but I did truly start writing it as a way to attempt to explore why I want to be recognised publicly so much.

It's the same with the rankings and charts - we all say we don't care - and I don't as long as I'm going up! But when I drop - I have to admit I do care and it feels like a personal slight even though I know it's all down to a bunch of random algorithms and that maybe I've been barged out of the way by someone who has had a particularly successful linky that month.

I think the whole thing is not exclusive to bloggers- throughout our lives all we want is to be acknowledged. We want to succeed, we want to feel loved and included. So Kathryn -yes I am excited - and if any bloggers want to get together and present me with a shiny trophy for "Best blog by a slightly dumpy fake-blonde mother of 7" I would be delighted!

PS: having spent all day pretending I'm not going to ask for nominations I've given up all pretence - so if you'd like to look at the categories and nominate this needy blogger - click here

Of course we care. I don't believe anyone who says they don't. That said, I do respect those who choose to stay out of it. We are so quick to read things into the fact that we didn't win, that in some cases it's easier to stay on the periphery and watch the fun and games.Did I actually say that? *Jumps into the melee* ;)By the way, I'm sorry, but I had to have a little chuckle at your fibromyalgia barricade - I am exactly the same in my bed!

I've been thinking of remaining on the sidelines this time. Not sure why, but it just doesn't feel like something I want to jump into-probably because I might find myself bothering about it I guess! I can't believe you're a Newbie either-you seem so much an established blogger to me. Anyway, best of luck with the nominations :)

Thankyou that's kind to say I don;t seem like a newbie - I do put a lot of hours into my blog in the attempt to avoid having to get a proper job where I have to wear clothes and shoes and stuff. Awards aren;t for everyone - I just think the publicity can;t hurt

I think you deserve a reward for being a mum of 7, I know people say it to me all the time and I've only a brood of 5! Anyway, like Helen said, it's natural to want to be accepted, appreciated, in the lime light, and believe me the MAD blog awards put on a boomin' fantastic 'do' So go for it girl, and I'll wish you the best of luck....maybe I'll see you there, fingers crossed.

I think that we all want nominations if we are honest! Some of us are just too embarrassed/shy to ask! Or we are worried that people will think badly of us and then we won't get votes! I will politely suggest and if people would like to vote for me then great. If not, that's fine too :) It's their prerogative. Thanks for linking to PoCoLo x

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